IT is not every day one goes hunting in Hollywood and this was the real Hollywood, centred in The Garden of Ireland in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains. Hollywood Village dates back to the sixth century to Saint Kevin, and it is said that the Hollywood in the US got its name from Irish emigrants who, feeling nostalgic, wanted to hold on to the placename of their former home in ‘The Old Sod’!

But the two Hollywoods have filming in common, as a fleet of filming trucks were parked next to The Old Stage Coach Stop, great for drink and food, run by David McGuigan as filming was scheduled for the following week. Films made in Hollywood are Dancing at Lughnasa, King Arthur, Haunted Harmony Mysteries, Michael Collins, Vikings, Shelter, Black Irish, The Mount, A Quiet Tide and Dragoon.

Then the South County Dublin Harriers are no strangers to filming, as it was the Souths that featured in the filming of The Irish RM based on Somervile and Ross’s book with characters like Flurry Knox and The Major with regular huntsman Roger Harvey and Willie Dunne as master. The box series is well worth getting, as you can relive that time in hunting over and over again.

More filming

Ace photographer Desmond Bell had another engagement, so my guide was Vinnie Kelly, a man that is larger than life and whose videos have reached all corners of the world via his social channels. Vinny had words of encouragement for every follower, which is popular with viewers and enquiries have resulted for hunting holidays and for Ray Fisher’s Roundwood Horse and Pony Trekking based at show jumper Paddy Quinlan’s Farm.

Trish Doyle was travelling with Cathy Conlon and usually hunts, but I think she forgot she was not on a horse and, with special tyres on her jeep, kept us in contact throughout the day to make sure I got to the best vantage points, with Orla O’Reilly also filming.

Drag lines and horsemanship

The Souths hunt a very wide area and, on the day, Hollywood is regarded as one of their best meets as it presents the most challenging country. This is made possible by local farmer and former Kildare Foxhounds joint master, Paul Doyle. He planned the lines over the previous weeks, many over family and neighbours’ land that presented all the best challenges, as well as scenic views. There were no easy lines with everything from ditches, gates, drains and banks.

The pack hunt an artificial scent, which is laid by two strong riders, joint master Barry Murphy and Matthew Giltrap, consequently it is all action from start to finish only for a few breathers at the end of each line. It is a strong test for horses and riders and one could see how there were so many young talented riders that rode on at fences and had an eye for a stride, which stands to them in show jumping and eventing. It also gives responsibility to young riders for their horses and ponies and teaches them how to quickly make instant judgements on how they approach a fence, as everything happens so quickly drag hunting.

Masters and hunt staff

The masters Niall Byrne, Barry Murphy and Liam Brew are seasoned hands in hunting. Liam also hunts with the Galway Blazers, having invested in a home away from home in my home town of Loughrea.

The huntsman Paul Kerr hunted the Kildare Foxhounds for nine seasons and has over 30 seasons hunting the South County and is as keen as ever. He was riding his quality eight-year-old grey hunter by Uibh Fhaili that he bred - he also bred the dam and grand dam and hunted all of them. He has a quiet way with his hounds, mainly stunning black and tans that have incredible drive and voices to match. Whipping-in are his daughters, Grace, Eve and Catherine, and Beth Doyle, who are all talented riders and they and their horses were all beautifully turned out to show standard.

Eve was riding a stunning four-year-old coloured horse that has great presence and has the eye of a horse that knows he is special and he can jump too. He was bred by Danny McSorley, who also bred the leading chaser Banbridge trained by Joseph O’Brien.

Followers

Hunting also were young Peter and Patrick Connolly, who show jump for Castlepark National School in Dalkey on their ponies DHS Black Domino, Highmead Song and Dance, Rachel’s Rory and Killeany Limited Edition, regularly in the ribbons at Coilog, Cavan and Broadmeadow. Billy Flood, Moya Kelly and Paddy Donovan were riding former Kilworth and Araglen huntsman Liam Russell’s seasoned hunters. Mounted also were Emily Condon, Declan Hughes, Oliver Ryan, Paddy Craine on a stunning Appaloosa, and another that he sold to Garreth O’Dwyer, whose horse-drawn funeral carriages are a familiar sight in Dublin.

Ready for the day also were Ciara Byrne, Lilly O’Reilly and her horse Emmy and her mother Orla following, Mark Houlihan, Rosie Conlon and Saoirse Carty, the Holllywood Girls, Caroline and Ashling McGuire, Charlotte Weld and her mother Sinead, Moya Kelly, Deirdre Carty, Rosie Connolly and Sean Sheehan.

Hunting

You could smell the sharp aroma of the drag line as Drag Layers Barry Murphy and Matthew Giltrap got away early. They are two of the best riders and took the followers over some really big country. They got started in the Village Field in the shadow of Dragoon Hill, where the filming trucks were parked, and they had a canter through the Valley, which was spectacular with the hills reaching up each side stopping at the Baltinglass Road.

But the real action had only just begun off the Athgreany Road with Church Mountain in background in Thomas Kelly’s of Pipers Stones with the pack literally flying over former Kildare Foxhounds master Paul Doyle’s farm, with every type of obstacle, tyres and a good strong hedge, which had a few horses stretching. The two young show jumpers, Peter and Patrick Connolly, sat back at the hedge and Lilly O’Reilly and Charlotte Weld were enjoying themselves as well. They finished at Mark Doyle’s, where you could hear the horses rapping their hooves over the barrels as they continued on jumping the furze along the valley, while Page Conway was on hand if a rider was in trouble.

Off Dromreagh Road a line was laid across James Kelly’s and Seamus Finnock’s, where a bog drain had to be jumped with room to spare. Billy Flood, Paul Doyle, Paddy Craine, Garreth O’Dwyer, Emily Conlon and Moya Kelly took it in their stride, but unfortunately a few riders landed short and paid the price and had to be extracted from the black watery drain. Billy and Paul are two of the elite members of The Cut Bush 10 that survived the last hectic run on Peter Cahill’s last day as huntsman of the Kildare Foxhounds at Cut Bush in 2022.

Hounds were away again over James Kelly’s near Cry Help in a wide circle back into Markey Doyle’s, where a gate with a steep drop caught a few out for balance including one girl who hung on and on and eventually landed on her feet and hopped up again and away. But what a display the McGuire girls, Caroline and Ashling, gave jumping upsides over the upright gate as if in a race, landing perfectly and nearly overtaking a man landing on a coloured horse who looked surprised as they flashed by.

What a day of non-stop action, a supreme test of horses and riders in magnificent countryside, and followers that could not be more helpful and all with the best of humour.

More fun is forecasted as their Hunt Ball will be held on February 21st in The Killashee Hotel and is guaranteed to be a great night.